{"id":49,"date":"2022-11-08T22:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-11-08T22:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/chapter\/revelation\/"},"modified":"2023-01-27T07:57:31","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T07:57:31","slug":"revelation","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/chapter\/revelation\/","title":{"raw":"Revelation","rendered":"Revelation"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"revelation\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">In this chapter you will<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>learn that the book of Revelation is where most song lyrics in the New Testament are to be found concentrated in a single work<\/li>\r\n \t<li>consider examples of words and ideas from Revelation that appear in rock music<\/li>\r\n \t<li>learn the story behind an extremely popular and widely used Christian worship song<\/li>\r\n \t<li>learn why a famous quartet\u2019s title derives from Revelation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>consider why texts from the end of the book of Revelation are set to music more frequently than other parts<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Introduction: Music in Revelation<\/h1>\r\nThere is a lot of music <em>in<\/em> the book of Revelation, sometimes referred to as the Apocalypse of St. John, in addition to <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/revelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">settings<\/a> of parts of it to music throughout history. <em>Apocalypse<\/em> is the transliteration of a Greek word that means \u201crevelation, unveiling, or disclosure,\u201d so these are just two different ways of rendering the name, one transliterating while the other translates the meaning. Some who read the book are so fixated on what they believe to be predictions of the end of the world, the \u201clast things\u201d or \u201cend times,\u201d that they miss the prominent presence of singing in the book and thus may be surprised by how often texts from Revelation have been set to music. In fact, noticing the singing within the book may clue us in to what it is really about: a contrast between the heavenly worship in which those faithful to God participate and the worship of the Roman emperor. The misperception that it is about our future and the end of the world explains why we so frequently hear people get the title wrong and call it the \u201cbook of Revelations,\u201d as though it were a collection of predictions and secrets about things still to come. There is no s on the end of the title. The single \u201crevelation\u201d is one that the book says was given to someone named John in the first century about things that were going on in his and that \u201cmust soon take place\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 1:1&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 1:1<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 22:6&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">22:6<\/a>). Two thousand years later is not \u201csoon,\u201d and the fixation on a futurist reading of the book seriously distorts our understanding of it. If we stop and take time to listen to the music, on the other hand, you will notice that the book is focused on contrasting worship. In heaven, with much singing, worship is offered \u201cto the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 5:13&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 5:13<\/a>). On earth, on the other hand, many worship the \u201cbeast,\u201d who represents the Roman emperor and the demand that Christians participate in the imperial cult, which was considered an important sign of loyalty and was crucial to maintaining the stability of the Roman Empire. The heavenly singing is what the faithful on earth should aspire to emulate and participate in, directing their worship at the one true God even in an environment that might persecute and even execute them for this exclusive allegiance.\r\n<h1>666 in Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll<\/h1>\r\nWhen it comes to music that draws on the book of Revelation, an impressive number of <a href=\"https:\/\/garyhastert.wordpress.com\/2015\/04\/03\/allusions-to-the-book-of-revelation-in-rock-music\/amp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">examples are in the realm of rock music<\/a>. Perhaps the most famous example is in the genre of heavy metal: Iron Maiden\u2019s \u201cNumber of the Beast,\u201d which draws selectively on parts of Revelation, apparently having been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inspired by the movie<\/a> <em>Damien: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Omen II<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> (or more precisely, a nightmare<\/a> that ensued after seeing it).[footnote]The song \u201cNumber of the Beast\u201d (on an album with the same title) led some to denounce and protest the band, accusing them of Satan worship, which band members have pointed out shows that they did not bother to listen to or read the lyrics to the song, nor those of another track on the album with a biblical reference but largely nonbiblical lyrics, \u201cHallowed Be Thy Name.\u201d Other heavy metal bands have faced similar issues: see the discussion of Metallica\u2019s song \u201cCreeping Death\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/chapter\/exodus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in chapter 10 on Exodus<\/a>.[\/footnote] That series of movies in turn draws selectively on biblical sources to weave a frightening tale about \u201cthe Antichrist\u201d\u2014a title that in fact never occurs in the book of Revelation. When it occurs in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1 John 2:18&amp;version=NRSV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 John 2:18<\/a>, it adds a plural form of the word, suggesting there is no single \u201cAntichrist\u201d but a type of figure. Iron Maiden\u2019s (and these movies\u2019) exploration of this topic is thus no more and no less biblical than some examples from the realm of \u201cclassical\u201d music, such as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.operatoday.com\/content\/2005\/11\/langgaard_antik.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rued Langgaard\u2019s<\/a> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2QSd-DzqMjM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Antikrist<\/a><\/em>. The use of the Bible in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.langgaard.dk\/musik\/vaerker\/antilibrettoe.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">libretto<\/a> of that work is worth exploring in detail.\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">I wonder whether Peter Gabriel might ever have sung <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/and-i-saw-another-angel-revelation-7-2-3-9-10-12-charles-villiers-stanford\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charles Villiers Stanford\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw Another Angel\u201d<\/a> in chapel at Charterhouse School, where the founding members of the band Genesis met. Gabriel and others mention the influence of hymns on their songwriting and music, and Gabriel drew directly from the same part of the book of Revelation for the words to the climax of the song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/the-story-behind-the-song-genesis-suppers-ready\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cSupper\u2019s Ready.\u201d<\/a>[footnote]On this, see further Sarah Hill, \u201cEnding It All: Genesis and Revelation,\u201d <em>Popular Music<\/em> 32, no. 2 (2013): 197\u2013221. The song can be found on YouTube, including in the form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QVyfj7-mHqs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recordings of classic live performances<\/a> by Genesis.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1>Hymns, Choruses, and Other Church Music<\/h1>\r\nGiven that parts of the book of Revelation may draw on early Christian songs, it is fitting that from time to time the words have been turned back into songs for use in the setting of Christian worship. Far more hymns draw selectively on phrases and themes than actually stick close to words found in Revelation. Among those that do, the best known today is perhaps <a href=\"https:\/\/hymnary.org\/text\/thou_art_worthy_thou_art_worthy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cThou Art Worthy\u201d<\/a> by Pauline Mills. It was written in 1963, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thescottspot.wordpress.com\/2016\/10\/01\/thou-art-worthy-written-in-1963\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">story of its creation<\/a> that has circulated, if true, is quite remarkable. The songwriter\u2019s son was a pastor, and prior to a visit to the church by his mother (of whose musical ability he was understandably proud), Rev. Mills told the congregation that they could suggest a favorite passage of Scripture to his mother at the start of a service, and by the end she would have set it to music. He did not warn his mother of this, however, so she was surprised to learn of her son\u2019s promise when she arrived. Yet she rose to the occasion, and at the prompting of a member of the congregation whose favorite verse was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 4:11&amp;version=KJV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 4:11<\/a>, she produced a song that is still widely sung today.[footnote]Another example of the use of words directly from Revelation in a worship song is \u201cTo Him Who Sits on the Throne,\u201d written by Debbye Graafsma, which appeared on the rock band Petra\u2019s album <em>Petra Praise 2<\/em>.[\/footnote]\r\n<h1>Instrumental Revelation<\/h1>\r\nA well-known instrumental work that derives its title and inspiration from the book of Revelation is Olivier Messiaen\u2019s <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.lawrence.edu\/dept\/it\/musicguides\/mq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quatuor pour le Fin du Temps<\/a><\/em>, or \u201cQuartet for the End of Time,\u201d alluding to <a href=\"https:\/\/biblehub.com\/revelation\/10-6.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 10:6<\/a>, where an angel declares that \u201ctime should be time no longer\u201d (KJV) or, as the Common English Bible puts it, \u201cthe time is up.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/holocaustmusic.ort.org\/places\/camps\/western-europe\/messiaenolivier\/quatuor-pour-la-fin-du-temp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Messiaen composed and then first performed the work in a Nazi camp for prisoners of war<\/a> during World War II. In that context, Revelation\u2019s hope for an end to human history in its present form and its replacement with the kingdom of God would have naturally resonated with the composer, although arguably so too could a desire for time to simply end altogether (as a literal interpretation of the title might imply).[footnote]Olivier Messiaen\u2019s <em>Quatuor pour la fin du temps<\/em> is here performed by Antje Weithaas on violin, Sol Gabetta on cello, Sabine Meyer on clarinet, and Bertrand Chamayou on piano. Filmed at Solsberg Festival 2016 and shared on YouTube by the Hochrhein Musikfestival.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QAQmZvxVffY[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Another example of an instrumental exploration of Revelation is <a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/trumpets-angels-new-performing-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Gregson\u2019s<\/a> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/trumpets-angels-new-performing-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music of the Angels<\/a><\/em> (as well as a couple of <a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/music-of-the-angels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">earlier works<\/a> that laid the groundwork for it). It is not surprising that a work would be composed for brass instruments based on the description of angels playing trumpets in the book of Revelation.[footnote]The trumpeting angels are also mentioned in the Genesis song \u201cSupper\u2019s Ready,\u201d where they are said to play \u201csweet rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1>Alpha and Omega (and Everything in Between)<\/h1>\r\nAlpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and thus when those letters are mentioned in the book of Revelation, it is the equivalent of saying \u201cfrom A to Z\u201d in English. Few works attempt to explore the entire span of the book of Revelation in music.[footnote]Even Pierre Henry\u2019s very unusual work with narration does not include everything. You can listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=T3ZgIBOPR0o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pierre Henry\u2019s <em>Apocalypse de Jean<\/em> on YouTube<\/a>.[\/footnote] One of the few exceptions is<em> Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln<\/em> (The Book with Seven Seals) by Franz Schmidt. The composer is reported to have said of the work, \u201cIf my setting succeeds in bringing this unprecedented poetry, whose topicality now, after eighteen and a half hundred years, is as great as it was on the first day, to the listener of today, then this will be my best reward.\u201d[footnote]<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071206044417\/http:\/\/www.bach-verein.de\/konzertchronik0\/schmidtbuchmitsiebensiegeln\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quoted by Wolfgang-Paul-Saal<\/a>.[\/footnote] Although the language and turns of phrase that characterize the book of Revelation may seem quite unique to many modern readers, the book actually draws much of its distinctive imagery from the Old Testament \/ Jewish Scripture. Nor is it the first or only work that might be placed in the category of apocalyptic literature. It would be fascinating to hear what composers who were motivated to set some or all of Revelation to music because of its perceived uniqueness might do with other apocalyptic texts were they to discover them. For now, however, simply have a listen to Schmidt\u2019s setting.[footnote]Franz Schmidt\u2019s <em>Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln<\/em> is performed by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Concert Choir, conducted by Fabio Luisi. It was recorded at DR Concert Hall on December 2017 and shared by the venue to their YouTube channel.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gQfMFH7UU7s[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Hilding Rosenberg\u2019s Symphony no. 4, \u201cJohannes Uppenbarelse\u201d (The Revelation of John) includes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vivaopera.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Johannes_Uppenbarelse_texten.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">text from Revelation interspersed with poems by Hjalmar Gullberg<\/a> that are inspired by and allude to Revelation, making for a multilayered treatment of Revelation that bridges the ancient text with the composer\u2019s time.[footnote]H\u00e5kan Hageg\u00e5rd, baritone, is the soloist in this performance of Hilding Rosenberg\u2019s Symphony no. 4 by the Swedish Radio Choir and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sixten Ehrling. Licensed to YouTube by Naxos Digital Services US.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=665i3ptVrBc[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Paul Manz\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/een-so-lord-jesus-quickly-come-revelation-1-4-4-8-22-20-5-paul-manz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cE\u2019en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come\u201d<\/a> combines small segments of text from toward the beginning and end of Revelation.[footnote]The Exultate Choir, conducted by Thomas Rossin, performed this work by Paul Manz in memory of the composer, who passed away in 2009.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XrYeuTZWRvM[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The end of Revelation, with its climactic vision of a new creation, is especially popular with composers, far more so than the sections about plagues and judgments coming upon the earth and its human inhabitants. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lyy7RWXAV9Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edgar Bainton\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth\u201d<\/a> is a setting of part of chapter 21.[footnote]This recording of Bainton\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw a New Heaven\u201d by Bath Abbey Girls\u2019 Choir, conducted by Huw Williams, is shared on YouTube by <em>CHOR GESANG<\/em> music magazine for the occasion of Remembrance Day 2020.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-KoqFlcuZ3Y[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Finally (as far as the musical examples included in the chapter are concerned), here is <a href=\"https:\/\/willtodd.co.uk\/product\/no-more-sorrow-full-score-satb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Todd\u2019s<\/a> gentle <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/no-more-sorrow-revelation-214-will-todd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cNo More Sorrow,\u201d<\/a> which succeeds in emphasizing the comforting message of the book of Revelation and, in particular, its climax through an extremely effective and moving wedding of words and music.[footnote]\u201cNo More Sorrow\u201d by Will Todd was shared on YouTube by Exposure TV to promote the release of the album <em>Lux et Veritas: Music for Peace and Reflection<\/em>.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gb06XgRE2Jc[\/embed]\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">For a discussion of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetabernaclechoir.org\/articles\/history-of-handels-hallelujah-chorus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hallelujah Chorus<\/a>,\u201d the text of which is drawn from the book of Revelation, see chapter 28 about Handel\u2019s <em>Messiah<\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kellydeanhansen.com\/opus55.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brahms\u2019s<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kellydeanhansen.com\/opus55.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Triumphlied<\/em><\/a> (Song of Triumph) is based on the same part of Revelation, chapter 19.[footnote]On this work and its relationship to current events in the time it was composed, see Daniel Beller-McKenna, <em>Brahms and the German Spirit<\/em> (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 77\u201378.[\/footnote] As with all of the Bible, there are more examples than we can name, much less discuss in a way that might do justice to them.[footnote] A few examples include James MacMillan\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xFtY8Qa_Vh0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpha and Omega<\/a>,\u201d Patrick Hawes\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patrickhawes.com\/2016\/12\/20\/revelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knutnystedt.com\/works\/choir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Knut Nystedt\u2019s<\/a> <em>Apocalypsis Joannis<\/em>. The latter\u2019s <em>Seven Seals: Vision for Orchestra<\/em>, op. 76, should also be noted. I will also draw attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uTwAt2V5C8g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Whitbourn\u2019s \u201cHe Carried Me Away in the Spirit.\u201d<\/a> Whitbourn has also explored the ending of Revelation in his \u201cPure Water of Life.\u201d Other biblical settings by the same composer include his \u201cMagnificat,\u201d \u201cNunc Dimittis,\u201d and \u201cAlleluia jubilate.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">For Further Reading<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Pople, Anthony. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps<\/em><\/span>. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Seel, Thomas Allen. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">A Theology of Music for Worship Derived from the Book of Revelation<\/em><\/span>. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 1995.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Wallin, Nils. L. \u201cHilding Rosenbergs Johannes uppenbarelse.\u201d <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">DMT<\/em><\/span> 27, no. 1 (1952): 15\u201320.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"revelation\">\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">In this chapter you will<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>learn that the book of Revelation is where most song lyrics in the New Testament are to be found concentrated in a single work<\/li>\n<li>consider examples of words and ideas from Revelation that appear in rock music<\/li>\n<li>learn the story behind an extremely popular and widely used Christian worship song<\/li>\n<li>learn why a famous quartet\u2019s title derives from Revelation<\/li>\n<li>consider why texts from the end of the book of Revelation are set to music more frequently than other parts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Introduction: Music in Revelation<\/h1>\n<p>There is a lot of music <em>in<\/em> the book of Revelation, sometimes referred to as the Apocalypse of St. John, in addition to <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/revelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">settings<\/a> of parts of it to music throughout history. <em>Apocalypse<\/em> is the transliteration of a Greek word that means \u201crevelation, unveiling, or disclosure,\u201d so these are just two different ways of rendering the name, one transliterating while the other translates the meaning. Some who read the book are so fixated on what they believe to be predictions of the end of the world, the \u201clast things\u201d or \u201cend times,\u201d that they miss the prominent presence of singing in the book and thus may be surprised by how often texts from Revelation have been set to music. In fact, noticing the singing within the book may clue us in to what it is really about: a contrast between the heavenly worship in which those faithful to God participate and the worship of the Roman emperor. The misperception that it is about our future and the end of the world explains why we so frequently hear people get the title wrong and call it the \u201cbook of Revelations,\u201d as though it were a collection of predictions and secrets about things still to come. There is no s on the end of the title. The single \u201crevelation\u201d is one that the book says was given to someone named John in the first century about things that were going on in his and that \u201cmust soon take place\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 1:1&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 1:1<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 22:6&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">22:6<\/a>). Two thousand years later is not \u201csoon,\u201d and the fixation on a futurist reading of the book seriously distorts our understanding of it. If we stop and take time to listen to the music, on the other hand, you will notice that the book is focused on contrasting worship. In heaven, with much singing, worship is offered \u201cto the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 5:13&amp;version=NRSVUE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 5:13<\/a>). On earth, on the other hand, many worship the \u201cbeast,\u201d who represents the Roman emperor and the demand that Christians participate in the imperial cult, which was considered an important sign of loyalty and was crucial to maintaining the stability of the Roman Empire. The heavenly singing is what the faithful on earth should aspire to emulate and participate in, directing their worship at the one true God even in an environment that might persecute and even execute them for this exclusive allegiance.<\/p>\n<h1>666 in Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll<\/h1>\n<p>When it comes to music that draws on the book of Revelation, an impressive number of <a href=\"https:\/\/garyhastert.wordpress.com\/2015\/04\/03\/allusions-to-the-book-of-revelation-in-rock-music\/amp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">examples are in the realm of rock music<\/a>. Perhaps the most famous example is in the genre of heavy metal: Iron Maiden\u2019s \u201cNumber of the Beast,\u201d which draws selectively on parts of Revelation, apparently having been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inspired by the movie<\/a> <em>Damien: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Omen II<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ironmaidencommentary.com\/?url=album03_notb\/commentary03_notb&amp;link=albums&amp;lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> (or more precisely, a nightmare<\/a> that ensued after seeing it).<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"The song \u201cNumber of the Beast\u201d (on an album with the same title) led some to denounce and protest the band, accusing them of Satan worship, which band members have pointed out shows that they did not bother to listen to or read the lyrics to the song, nor those of another track on the album with a biblical reference but largely nonbiblical lyrics, \u201cHallowed Be Thy Name.\u201d Other heavy metal bands have faced similar issues: see the discussion of Metallica\u2019s song \u201cCreeping Death\u201d in chapter 10 on Exodus.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-1\" href=\"#footnote-49-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> That series of movies in turn draws selectively on biblical sources to weave a frightening tale about \u201cthe Antichrist\u201d\u2014a title that in fact never occurs in the book of Revelation. When it occurs in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1 John 2:18&amp;version=NRSV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 John 2:18<\/a>, it adds a plural form of the word, suggesting there is no single \u201cAntichrist\u201d but a type of figure. Iron Maiden\u2019s (and these movies\u2019) exploration of this topic is thus no more and no less biblical than some examples from the realm of \u201cclassical\u201d music, such as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.operatoday.com\/content\/2005\/11\/langgaard_antik.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rued Langgaard\u2019s<\/a> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2QSd-DzqMjM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Antikrist<\/a><\/em>. The use of the Bible in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.langgaard.dk\/musik\/vaerker\/antilibrettoe.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">libretto<\/a> of that work is worth exploring in detail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">I wonder whether Peter Gabriel might ever have sung <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/and-i-saw-another-angel-revelation-7-2-3-9-10-12-charles-villiers-stanford\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charles Villiers Stanford\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw Another Angel\u201d<\/a> in chapel at Charterhouse School, where the founding members of the band Genesis met. Gabriel and others mention the influence of hymns on their songwriting and music, and Gabriel drew directly from the same part of the book of Revelation for the words to the climax of the song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/features\/the-story-behind-the-song-genesis-suppers-ready\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cSupper\u2019s Ready.\u201d<\/a><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"On this, see further Sarah Hill, \u201cEnding It All: Genesis and Revelation,\u201d Popular Music 32, no. 2 (2013): 197\u2013221. The song can be found on YouTube, including in the form of recordings of classic live performances by Genesis.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-2\" href=\"#footnote-49-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Hymns, Choruses, and Other Church Music<\/h1>\n<p>Given that parts of the book of Revelation may draw on early Christian songs, it is fitting that from time to time the words have been turned back into songs for use in the setting of Christian worship. Far more hymns draw selectively on phrases and themes than actually stick close to words found in Revelation. Among those that do, the best known today is perhaps <a href=\"https:\/\/hymnary.org\/text\/thou_art_worthy_thou_art_worthy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cThou Art Worthy\u201d<\/a> by Pauline Mills. It was written in 1963, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thescottspot.wordpress.com\/2016\/10\/01\/thou-art-worthy-written-in-1963\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">story of its creation<\/a> that has circulated, if true, is quite remarkable. The songwriter\u2019s son was a pastor, and prior to a visit to the church by his mother (of whose musical ability he was understandably proud), Rev. Mills told the congregation that they could suggest a favorite passage of Scripture to his mother at the start of a service, and by the end she would have set it to music. He did not warn his mother of this, however, so she was surprised to learn of her son\u2019s promise when she arrived. Yet she rose to the occasion, and at the prompting of a member of the congregation whose favorite verse was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation 4:11&amp;version=KJV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 4:11<\/a>, she produced a song that is still widely sung today.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Another example of the use of words directly from Revelation in a worship song is \u201cTo Him Who Sits on the Throne,\u201d written by Debbye Graafsma, which appeared on the rock band Petra\u2019s album Petra Praise 2.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-3\" href=\"#footnote-49-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Instrumental Revelation<\/h1>\n<p>A well-known instrumental work that derives its title and inspiration from the book of Revelation is Olivier Messiaen\u2019s <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.lawrence.edu\/dept\/it\/musicguides\/mq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quatuor pour le Fin du Temps<\/a><\/em>, or \u201cQuartet for the End of Time,\u201d alluding to <a href=\"https:\/\/biblehub.com\/revelation\/10-6.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 10:6<\/a>, where an angel declares that \u201ctime should be time no longer\u201d (KJV) or, as the Common English Bible puts it, \u201cthe time is up.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/holocaustmusic.ort.org\/places\/camps\/western-europe\/messiaenolivier\/quatuor-pour-la-fin-du-temp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Messiaen composed and then first performed the work in a Nazi camp for prisoners of war<\/a> during World War II. In that context, Revelation\u2019s hope for an end to human history in its present form and its replacement with the kingdom of God would have naturally resonated with the composer, although arguably so too could a desire for time to simply end altogether (as a literal interpretation of the title might imply).<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Olivier Messiaen\u2019s Quatuor pour la fin du temps is here performed by Antje Weithaas on violin, Sol Gabetta on cello, Sabine Meyer on clarinet, and Bertrand Chamayou on piano. Filmed at Solsberg Festival 2016 and shared on YouTube by the Hochrhein Musikfestival.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-4\" href=\"#footnote-49-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps \/ Weithaas, Gabetta, Meyer, Chamayou\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QAQmZvxVffY?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Another example of an instrumental exploration of Revelation is <a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/trumpets-angels-new-performing-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Gregson\u2019s<\/a> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/trumpets-angels-new-performing-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music of the Angels<\/a><\/em> (as well as a couple of <a href=\"https:\/\/edwardgregson.com\/works\/music-of-the-angels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">earlier works<\/a> that laid the groundwork for it). It is not surprising that a work would be composed for brass instruments based on the description of angels playing trumpets in the book of Revelation.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"The trumpeting angels are also mentioned in the Genesis song \u201cSupper\u2019s Ready,\u201d where they are said to play \u201csweet rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u201d\" id=\"return-footnote-49-5\" href=\"#footnote-49-5\" aria-label=\"Footnote 5\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Alpha and Omega (and Everything in Between)<\/h1>\n<p>Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and thus when those letters are mentioned in the book of Revelation, it is the equivalent of saying \u201cfrom A to Z\u201d in English. Few works attempt to explore the entire span of the book of Revelation in music.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Even Pierre Henry\u2019s very unusual work with narration does not include everything. You can listen to Pierre Henry\u2019s Apocalypse de Jean on YouTube.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-6\" href=\"#footnote-49-6\" aria-label=\"Footnote 6\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[6]<\/sup><\/a> One of the few exceptions is<em> Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln<\/em> (The Book with Seven Seals) by Franz Schmidt. The composer is reported to have said of the work, \u201cIf my setting succeeds in bringing this unprecedented poetry, whose topicality now, after eighteen and a half hundred years, is as great as it was on the first day, to the listener of today, then this will be my best reward.\u201d<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Quoted by Wolfgang-Paul-Saal.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-7\" href=\"#footnote-49-7\" aria-label=\"Footnote 7\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[7]<\/sup><\/a> Although the language and turns of phrase that characterize the book of Revelation may seem quite unique to many modern readers, the book actually draws much of its distinctive imagery from the Old Testament \/ Jewish Scripture. Nor is it the first or only work that might be placed in the category of apocalyptic literature. It would be fascinating to hear what composers who were motivated to set some or all of Revelation to music because of its perceived uniqueness might do with other apocalyptic texts were they to discover them. For now, however, simply have a listen to Schmidt\u2019s setting.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Franz Schmidt\u2019s Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln is performed by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Concert Choir, conducted by Fabio Luisi. It was recorded at DR Concert Hall on December 2017 and shared by the venue to their YouTube channel.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-8\" href=\"#footnote-49-8\" aria-label=\"Footnote 8\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-2\" title=\"Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln \/\/ Fabio Luisi &amp; The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gQfMFH7UU7s?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Hilding Rosenberg\u2019s Symphony no. 4, \u201cJohannes Uppenbarelse\u201d (The Revelation of John) includes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vivaopera.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Johannes_Uppenbarelse_texten.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">text from Revelation interspersed with poems by Hjalmar Gullberg<\/a> that are inspired by and allude to Revelation, making for a multilayered treatment of Revelation that bridges the ancient text with the composer\u2019s time.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"H\u00e5kan Hageg\u00e5rd, baritone, is the soloist in this performance of Hilding Rosenberg\u2019s Symphony no. 4 by the Swedish Radio Choir and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sixten Ehrling. Licensed to YouTube by Naxos Digital Services US.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-9\" href=\"#footnote-49-9\" aria-label=\"Footnote 9\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-3\" title=\"Hilding Rosenberg - Symphony No.4 &quot;Johannes uppenbarelse&quot; (1940)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/665i3ptVrBc?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Paul Manz\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/een-so-lord-jesus-quickly-come-revelation-1-4-4-8-22-20-5-paul-manz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cE\u2019en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come\u201d<\/a> combines small segments of text from toward the beginning and end of Revelation.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"The Exultate Choir, conducted by Thomas Rossin, performed this work by Paul Manz in memory of the composer, who passed away in 2009.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-10\" href=\"#footnote-49-10\" aria-label=\"Footnote 10\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-4\" title=\"E&#39;en So, Lord Jesus Quickly Come- Paul Manz, Exultate Choir\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XrYeuTZWRvM?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The end of Revelation, with its climactic vision of a new creation, is especially popular with composers, far more so than the sections about plagues and judgments coming upon the earth and its human inhabitants. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lyy7RWXAV9Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edgar Bainton\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth\u201d<\/a> is a setting of part of chapter 21.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"This recording of Bainton\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw a New Heaven\u201d by Bath Abbey Girls\u2019 Choir, conducted by Huw Williams, is shared on YouTube by CHOR GESANG music magazine for the occasion of Remembrance Day 2020.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-11\" href=\"#footnote-49-11\" aria-label=\"Footnote 11\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[11]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-5\" title=\"&quot;And I saw a new heaven&quot; Edgar Bainton | Bath Abbey Girls&#39; Choir (Huw Williams)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-KoqFlcuZ3Y?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Finally (as far as the musical examples included in the chapter are concerned), here is <a href=\"https:\/\/willtodd.co.uk\/product\/no-more-sorrow-full-score-satb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Todd\u2019s<\/a> gentle <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleasmusic.com\/no-more-sorrow-revelation-214-will-todd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cNo More Sorrow,\u201d<\/a> which succeeds in emphasizing the comforting message of the book of Revelation and, in particular, its climax through an extremely effective and moving wedding of words and music.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"\u201cNo More Sorrow\u201d by Will Todd was shared on YouTube by Exposure TV to promote the release of the album Lux et Veritas: Music for Peace and Reflection.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-12\" href=\"#footnote-49-12\" aria-label=\"Footnote 12\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"oembed-6\" title=\"Will Todd &#39;No More Sorrow&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gb06XgRE2Jc?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">For a discussion of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetabernaclechoir.org\/articles\/history-of-handels-hallelujah-chorus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hallelujah Chorus<\/a>,\u201d the text of which is drawn from the book of Revelation, see chapter 28 about Handel\u2019s <em>Messiah<\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kellydeanhansen.com\/opus55.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brahms\u2019s<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kellydeanhansen.com\/opus55.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Triumphlied<\/em><\/a> (Song of Triumph) is based on the same part of Revelation, chapter 19.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"On this work and its relationship to current events in the time it was composed, see Daniel Beller-McKenna, Brahms and the German Spirit (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 77\u201378.\" id=\"return-footnote-49-13\" href=\"#footnote-49-13\" aria-label=\"Footnote 13\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[13]<\/sup><\/a> As with all of the Bible, there are more examples than we can name, much less discuss in a way that might do justice to them.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"A few examples include James MacMillan\u2019s \u201cAlpha and Omega,\u201d Patrick Hawes\u2019s Revelation, and Knut Nystedt\u2019s Apocalypsis Joannis. The latter\u2019s Seven Seals: Vision for Orchestra, op. 76, should also be noted. I will also draw attention to James Whitbourn\u2019s \u201cHe Carried Me Away in the Spirit.\u201d Whitbourn has also explored the ending of Revelation in his \u201cPure Water of Life.\u201d Other biblical settings by the same composer include his \u201cMagnificat,\u201d \u201cNunc Dimittis,\u201d and \u201cAlleluia jubilate.\u201d\" id=\"return-footnote-49-14\" href=\"#footnote-49-14\" aria-label=\"Footnote 14\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">For Further Reading<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Pople, Anthony. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps<\/em><\/span>. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Seel, Thomas Allen. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">A Theology of Music for Worship Derived from the Book of Revelation<\/em><\/span>. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 1995.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-sbul hanging-indent\" style=\"margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt;\">Wallin, Nils. L. \u201cHilding Rosenbergs Johannes uppenbarelse.\u201d <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">DMT<\/em><\/span> 27, no. 1 (1952): 15\u201320.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-49-1\">The song \u201cNumber of the Beast\u201d (on an album with the same title) led some to denounce and protest the band, accusing them of Satan worship, which band members have pointed out shows that they did not bother to listen to or read the lyrics to the song, nor those of another track on the album with a biblical reference but largely nonbiblical lyrics, \u201cHallowed Be Thy Name.\u201d Other heavy metal bands have faced similar issues: see the discussion of Metallica\u2019s song \u201cCreeping Death\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/chapter\/exodus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in chapter 10 on Exodus<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-2\">On this, see further Sarah Hill, \u201cEnding It All: Genesis and Revelation,\u201d <em>Popular Music<\/em> 32, no. 2 (2013): 197\u2013221. The song can be found on YouTube, including in the form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QVyfj7-mHqs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recordings of classic live performances<\/a> by Genesis. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-3\">Another example of the use of words directly from Revelation in a worship song is \u201cTo Him Who Sits on the Throne,\u201d written by Debbye Graafsma, which appeared on the rock band Petra\u2019s album <em>Petra Praise 2<\/em>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-4\">Olivier Messiaen\u2019s <em>Quatuor pour la fin du temps<\/em> is here performed by Antje Weithaas on violin, Sol Gabetta on cello, Sabine Meyer on clarinet, and Bertrand Chamayou on piano. Filmed at Solsberg Festival 2016 and shared on YouTube by the Hochrhein Musikfestival. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-5\">The trumpeting angels are also mentioned in the Genesis song \u201cSupper\u2019s Ready,\u201d where they are said to play \u201csweet rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u201d <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-5\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 5\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-6\">Even Pierre Henry\u2019s very unusual work with narration does not include everything. You can listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=T3ZgIBOPR0o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pierre Henry\u2019s <em>Apocalypse de Jean<\/em> on YouTube<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-6\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 6\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-7\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071206044417\/http:\/\/www.bach-verein.de\/konzertchronik0\/schmidtbuchmitsiebensiegeln\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quoted by Wolfgang-Paul-Saal<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-7\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 7\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-8\">Franz Schmidt\u2019s <em>Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln<\/em> is performed by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Concert Choir, conducted by Fabio Luisi. It was recorded at DR Concert Hall on December 2017 and shared by the venue to their YouTube channel. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-8\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 8\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-9\">H\u00e5kan Hageg\u00e5rd, baritone, is the soloist in this performance of Hilding Rosenberg\u2019s Symphony no. 4 by the Swedish Radio Choir and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sixten Ehrling. Licensed to YouTube by Naxos Digital Services US. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-9\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 9\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-10\">The Exultate Choir, conducted by Thomas Rossin, performed this work by Paul Manz in memory of the composer, who passed away in 2009. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-10\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 10\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-11\">This recording of Bainton\u2019s \u201cAnd I Saw a New Heaven\u201d by Bath Abbey Girls\u2019 Choir, conducted by Huw Williams, is shared on YouTube by <em>CHOR GESANG<\/em> music magazine for the occasion of Remembrance Day 2020. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-11\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 11\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-12\">\u201cNo More Sorrow\u201d by Will Todd was shared on YouTube by Exposure TV to promote the release of the album <em>Lux et Veritas: Music for Peace and Reflection<\/em>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-12\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 12\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-13\">On this work and its relationship to current events in the time it was composed, see Daniel Beller-McKenna, <em>Brahms and the German Spirit<\/em> (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 77\u201378. <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-13\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 13\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-49-14\"> A few examples include James MacMillan\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xFtY8Qa_Vh0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpha and Omega<\/a>,\u201d Patrick Hawes\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patrickhawes.com\/2016\/12\/20\/revelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knutnystedt.com\/works\/choir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Knut Nystedt\u2019s<\/a> <em>Apocalypsis Joannis<\/em>. The latter\u2019s <em>Seven Seals: Vision for Orchestra<\/em>, op. 76, should also be noted. I will also draw attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uTwAt2V5C8g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Whitbourn\u2019s \u201cHe Carried Me Away in the Spirit.\u201d<\/a> Whitbourn has also explored the ending of Revelation in his \u201cPure Water of Life.\u201d Other biblical settings by the same composer include his \u201cMagnificat,\u201d \u201cNunc Dimittis,\u201d and \u201cAlleluia jubilate.\u201d <a href=\"#return-footnote-49-14\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 14\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":3,"menu_order":13,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":110,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":918,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/revisions\/918"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/110"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/thebibleandmusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}